Each holiday season, WUMCRC partners with other local organizations, including various departments from the Washington University School of Medicine and BJC HealthCare, to provide food, gifts, and financial resources for those in need through our Holiday Outreach program.

The positive connections made from this program allow WUMCRC to assist needy families and individuals with utility, rental, and mortgage assistance. In 2022, with the generous support of our donors, we assisted over 70 families and 80 seniors by providing gift cards and holiday food baskets.

The 2023 campaign is in full swing and we are hoping for bigger things. On December 13th the WUMCRC Holiday Outreach Program delivered food baskets, personal care items, and lunch from Panera to seniors at the West Pine apartment complex.

For nearly 50 years, the WUMCRC has been enriching the neighborhoods it supports through the development of affordable and accessible housing, community improvement, and other assistance programs to better the lives of our neighbors.

To date we have raised nearly $44,000 toward this year’s program. To help us improve the lives of our communities, please consider donating today. Your gift will help us make this year’s program even more successful than last year!

To learn more about our Holiday Outreach program, please contact us at holidayoutreach@wustl.edu or 314-747-2332.

You would be hard-pressed to find someone in the Washington University community who is unaware of the chancellor’s vision that is “in St. Louis, for St. Louis.” Pre-dating this campaign is the Employer Assisted Housing Program, which was established in 1997 before being expanded and renamed as the Live Near Your Work (LNYW) program.

Founded on the premise of providing stability to local communities, the Live Near Your Work program offers benefits-eligible employees a path to home ownership. A joint effort of Washington University and BJC HealthCare, the initiative was recently expanded to offer potential buyers a forgivable loan up to $12,500 to be used toward the down payment or closing costs of a home within specified neighborhoods.

“At its heart, Live Near Your Work is a means of encouraging and incentivizing sustainability and public health,” said David Chunn, the LNYW community development manager.

In addition to curbing greenhouse gas emissions associated with solo car driving, living near your workplace means shorter commute times and makes it easier to opt for a sustainable commute, saving you money and benefiting your physical and mental health.

Those utilizing the LNYW program move into neighborhoods that have access to transit, green space, and commercial corridors that facilitate shopping and dining destinations by foot. Owning a home also allows access to outdoor spaces which provide participants with access to garden spaces for growing vegetables or adopting other sustainable landscaping practices.

Living near your workplace also benefits the community. Programs like LNYW improve air quality by decreasing automobile emissions, reducing urban sprawl, and decreasing traffic congestion. The program also supports locally owned businesses and provides stability to participating neighborhoods.

For more information about the Live Near Your Work program and to see if you are eligible, visit the website.

Further reading:
Live Near Your Work Program Expands Eligible Neighborhoods
What a Pandemic Taught us about Commuting
WashU Smart Commute page

For Washington University and BJC employees home ownership doesn’t need to be a dream. At a time when the market is active and interest rates are high, help is on the way!

Thanks to the Live Near Your Work (LNYW) program, BJC and Washington University benefits-eligible employees can apply for a $12,500 forgivable loan to purchase a home in designated areas within our region. After five years of living in their home and continuing to work in a benefits-eligible position at BJC or Washington University, an employee’s loan is forgiven.

The purpose of the Live Near Your Work (LNYW) program is the stabilization and revitalization of the neighborhoods, municipalities, and zip codes surrounding the Washington University Danforth Campus, North Campus, Medical Campus, and BJC HealthCare facilities.

This initiative provides down payment and/or closing cost assistance as an employee benefit for eligible Washington University and BJC HealthCare employees towards the purchase of a home within the approved eligibility area.

Announced on November 7^th, the expanded Live Near Your Work program strengthens Washington University and BJC’s commitment to supporting the financial health and well-being of their employees.

Once accepted into the program, borrowers can apply the received funds to any home within the program’s boundaries. Founded in 1997 as the Employer Assisted Housing Program, LNYW now covers a wider area of the metropolitan area, including the following municipalities.

• Forest Park Southeast
• Skinker-DeBaliviere
• Portion of the Central West End Northeast
• Soulard
• Downtown St. Louis
• Tower Grove East
• Benton Park
• The 3rd Ward of University City
• Florissant MO
• Ferguson MO
• Jennings MO
• Berkeley MO
• Bellefontaine Neighbors
• Dutchtown
• Overland

Widening the program allows both institutions to make an impact in areas where systemic racial and spatial inequality create challenges for folks looking to buy a home. For people like these, the expanded LNYW program provides an opportunity for positive outcomes through equitable investment and sound economic development in areas where it is needed most.

While the expanded Live Near Your Work program strengthens Washington University and BJC’s commitment to supporting the financial health and well-being of their employees it also provide a variety of housing options for faculty and staff and help revitalize historic urban neighborhoods by providing a wide range of housing alternatives.

Available housing options in the program include 1-4 family buildings, single-family homes, duplexes, condominiums, apartments, and townhomes located ineligible areas of St. Louis city or county.

Applicants may also purchase a condo unit or a single apartment. However, they are not allowed to buy an entire building which houses more than four units. The dwelling must also serve as the main residence for the purchaser.

At a time when sustainability and green communities are more important than ever, the Live Near Your Work program is an affordable option that also helps the environment.

Those looking to dimmish their carbon footprint without sacrificing comfort will be pleased to know that the program supports sustainability in several ways:

• It encourages folks to come out of their comfort zones and walk or bike to work or use public transportation.

• Owning a house allows residents to try gardening, or if they have a green thumb, they can grow their own food.

• If the residents must drive to work, they will create a smaller carbon footprint because their drive time to is shorter.

• LNYW is a great way to carpool with co-workers.

• Many residents are moving into neighborhoods that provide recycling services.

• Moving into the program’s neighborhoods encourages residents to shop locally.

• Green efficiency begins at home and many of these properties have been fit with better insulation, energy-saving windows and use green lighting, many new properties also offer a programmable thermostat for more efficient heating and cooling.

The expanded Live Near Your Work program also strengthens Washington University and BJC’s commitment to supporting the financial health and well-being of employees through an easy to navigate enrollment process.

Applications for the Live Near Work Program are ongoing. Applying to the program is simple, but those interested should make sure they have requirements and have the necessary supporting documentation.

For more information about the Live Near Your Work program check out these segments from St. Louis Public Radio and Fox 2 or visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.